§ Mr. AmessTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints he has received against abortion clinics in the past year; which clinics were concerned in each case; and what the nature of each complaint was. [125408]
§ Yvette CooperThe Department has only received one complaint in the last year and as this is currently being investigated it is inappropriate to comment further.
§ Mr. AmessTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the fees that are paid to private abortion clinics for the receipt of fetal tissue by NHS organisations. [125407]
§ Yvette CooperNo fees are paid to private abortion clinics. The "Code Of Practice On The Use Of Fetuses And Fetal Material In Research And Treatment" issued by the Department in July 1989 states there should be no monetary exchange for fetuses or fetal tissue.
§ Mr. AmessTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what statutory provisions govern the disposal of the bodies and organs of induced-aborted babies. [125405]
§ Yvette CooperBefore 24 weeks gestation, there are no specific legal requirements but we recommend that full account be taken of any personal wishes that have been expressed about disposal of foetal tissue. If appropriate the options available should be raised with parents especially where there is an identifiable body at later gestations. If no personal wishes have been expressed foetuses should be incinerated.
Terminations carried out after 24 weeks gestation (the legal age of viability) are registered as stillbirths and the law requires the body to be buried or cremated.
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§ Mr. AmessTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the abortion clinics which send fetal tissue to the fetal tissue banks at(a) the Medical Research Council based at Hammersmith Hospital, (b) the Institute of Child Health, London and (c) the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. [125406]
§ Yvette CooperThe Marie Stopes Park View Clinic supplies foetal tissue to the Medical Research Council tissue bank based at Hammersmith Hospital. No abortion clinics supply foetal tissue to the other tissue banks listed.